Media Release – 17th September 2011 @ 17:17
Hundreds of students marched on the University Council of Auckland University this afternoon.
Currently a hundred students and some faculty members are occupying the Council chambers in the Clocktower building.
The occupation occurred as students attempted, and were blocked from, attending a public meeting to raise students fees.
Occupy Auckland, which has occupied Aotea square, will be holding its General Assembly outside the Clocktower in solidarity.
A forum organised by the Teritary Education Union and ‘We are the University’ will be held outside the Clocktower at 7pm.
Students are expressing solidarity with international student movements, and the international occupy movement.
They are calling for students and people around the country and around the world to join in occupying their universities, city centers and workplaces.
In a university council meeting room, We are the University came to these conclusions in a democratic process:
(1) Free education, Zero Frees (Unconditional).
(2) Sack Stuart McCutcheon and Patrick Walsh as vice chancellors of the University of Auckland and Victoria University respectively. Restructure university in a public forum.
(3) Remove trespass orders on Marcus Coverdale and Wikatana Popata.
(4) Decisions on courses be based on scholarly and social benefits rather than financial.
(5) Security guards be employed for the safety of students, not survailliance. Cops not to be called in response to (non-violent) student activism.
(6) The University management be bound by the government facilitation with the Tertiary Education Union (TEU).
(7) University actively lobby to revoke the VSM bill
(8) Government unconditionally fund student unions, allowing them to be a critical voice and conscience of society, so that corporatisation such as advertising is not necessary on campus spaces.
We are the University
Media Release – 17th September 2011 @ 16:00
Students occupy Auckland University Clocktower
Hundreds of students marched on the University Council of Auckland University this afternoon. Currently a hundred students and some faculty members are occupying the Council chambers in the Clocktower building. The occupation occurred as students attempted, and were blocked from, attending a public meeting to raise students fees. The occupation is currently in discussion with the University council with the aim of continuing the meeting with student and lecturer representation.
Police have surrounded the Clocktower and have brought dog handler units.
The occupation is currently in discussion with the University.
Media are welcome to come into the clocktower, level 2, and join the student discussion.